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Thursday, 21 March 2013

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka urges the President to take
decisive action by publicly condemning the hate campaign of the Buddhist
extremists. Sending a letter to Mahinda Rajapaksa,
president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka N.M. Ameen urges
Rajapaksa to instruct the police to take necessary action to stop
incidents of harassment against minorities and their businesses.

His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa,

The President,

Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka, Office of the President,

Temple Trees, 150, Galle Road,

Colombo 3, SRI LANKA.

Dear Excellency

As you are aware the Muslim community has recently been targeted
by extreme Buddhist groups for virulent attacks of hate and abuse on
the basis of our religious beliefs and cultural practices and erroneous
assumptions regarding the increase in our numbers. These groups who- are
targeting all minority religions have created a great sense of unease
among Muslims throughout the country. Their campaign has also affected
all businesses—not just Muslims—and resulted in a threat to the
maintenance of law and order affecting all communities.

N.M. Ameen

Out of our concern over the continued erosion of the above situation
Muslim Religious, Civil, Professional, and Academic and Business
representatives gathered on the 5th of March 2013 at a meeting organized
by the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka in Colombo. At that meeting the
group resolved to write to your Excellency regarding our concerns.

While we appreciate the many recent pronouncements that your
excellency has made regarding the multi ethnic nature of our polity, the
Muslims’ long history in the country, and the necessity of all ethnic
and religious groups to live in harmony, we see no substantive reduction
in either the incidents of harassment of members of our community or
the campaign by the extremist groups.

These groups have been using the traditional media, social media,
public meetings, posters, leaflets, and the circulation of rumours and
misinformation insulting Muslims to inculcate a sense of fear and hatred
of Muslims among Sinhalese. They are using abusive language when
referring to our religious practices and publicly calling for a boycott
of businesses run by Muslims.

As you know the Muslims have a long history in Sri Lanka and have
enjoyed good relations with our fellow citizens of other ethnicities.
While we were harassed during colonial times, and we experienced great
strife during the riots of 1915, since then there have been no
significant or widespread altercations between Muslims and Sinhalese.
The few local eruptions like those in Puttalam in 1976 and Mawanella in
2000 were fortunately controlled before they escalated. There were also
similar hate campaigns against Muslims at different points in the past.
These too, fortunately, were never allowed to escalate due to the good
relations between the majority of Muslims and Sinhalese and the good
sense of the Sinhala leadership of those times. We also lived well with
our Tamil brethren in the North and East –with whom we share a common
language– for centuries. Unfortunately the extremist ideology of the
LTTE which wanted to bring about a mono-ethnic state for the Tamils of
this country saw a deterioration in these traditional good relations and
the Muslim community was driven out of the North in 1990. Muslims who
were expelled in 1990 are still struggling to return.

Influenced by the global resurgence of Islamic piety in the 1980s,
Muslims in Sri Lanka too endeavored to become more pious and committed
Muslims. This process saw the introduction of the hijab and the abhaya
for women and the practice of the long beard and in some cases the
thobe for men. Sections of the community have also chosen the nikab or
face covering for women. The religious revival among our people saw the
reduction of alcoholism among rural communities, the introduction of
discipline within the entire community, an increase in religious
knowledge among our young and a greater engagement with Islamic history
and heritage. We consider this religious revival among our community to
be an important historical development from which many benefited
greatly. Today we are targeted by some Buddhist extremist groups for the
wearing of the hijab and abhaya, the beard and thobe and more
specifically, the nikab. Sections of our community hold these practices
to be very important, and we strongly reject the criticisms that have
been directed against them and charges of “extremism” leveled against
them. The Muslim community, like all other communities in the country,
consists of diverse groups many of whom do not prescribe to some of the
above dress practices, and may not even agree with them. However, we
consider it to be the right of all Muslims to choose to practice their
religion as they see fit. In the spirit of tolerance and respect for
difference within a multi-ethnic country, elements who may be
“disturbed” by such practices should educate themselves about these
practices. There is no necessity to cast these practices that are
harming none and are breaking no laws as “extremist” without proper
basis. It is incumbent upon all communities to respect one another’s
religious customs regardless of how new or how ancient they may be.

Rumors are also circulating about Muslim armed groups operating in
the East. These are reminiscent of some that were circulated by the LTTE
a decade ago and proved to be canards. If there are such groups they
should be apprehended and dealt with immediately through due process of
the law. If this is not the case, then urgent steps should be taken to
prevent the rumor-mongering.

We Muslims consider ourselves to be citizens of this country with an
equal entitlement to enjoy the many geographical beauties, the
constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms and the promise of post
war economic development; and while doing so we expect to fully enjoy
the right to practice our religion and culture in a manner that is in no
way harmful to other religious communities. More than anything else we
also demand our right to live without being targeted by groups whose
reach at the grass roots levels and whose exposure through media is
causing a wave of hate towards us among the Sinhalese.

As you know, Muslims are well represented in all the professions, in
the business sector, in universities and in civil society. We have made
and continue to make a significant contribution to the country and
would like to be recognized as such. As responsible citizens belonging
to a significant minority group we have shown great restrain in our
response to the extremists. We have done so due to our faith in the
larger Sinhala community who, we continue to have good relations with,
and in whose ultimate good sense we believe. We have done so believing
also in your own commitment to a peaceful and prosperous future for our
country. As you know, many are anticipating another conflagration
similar to that of the pogrom against the Tamils in 1983. It is against
the best interest of every single Sri Lankan to embroil ourselves in
another conflict that will surely destroy us.

We urge you therefore, your Excellency, to consider the following in
order to stem the rising tide of anti Muslim extremism in the country:

Take decisive action by publicly condemning the hate campaign of the Buddhist extremists.

Continue to proclaim publicly that the minorities are equal citizens and equitable stakeholders in the country.

Instruct the police to take necessary action to stop incidents of harassment against minorities and their businesses.

Empower the police to respond to instances where such forces try to take the law in to their own hands.

Ensure that the authorities take action against the media when they contribute to the propagation of this hate sentiment.

Diffuse the tension around the halal issue by either empowering the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama
(ACJU) to continue to offer the certification, or by mandating a
government institution to engage in the process(given that the
certification is most necessary to maintain our export markets).

As stated above, we trust in your Excellency’s good judgment in this
matter. As loyal citizens of this country we wish to continue to live in
peace and enjoy the greatness of this land. We are confident that your
Excellency will take the necessary steps to ensure that this happens.

Friday, 1 March 2013

The above was the anguished and rather alarming cry that emanated a
few weeks ago from Cabinet Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader
Rauff Hakeem.
That a minister, of justice at that and the leader of the preeminent
Muslim political party had to make a plea for an end to ethno religious
hate mongering in Sri Lanka was sobering enough. Coming as it does on
the heels of a sustained and systematic low intensity civil assault on
the Muslim community, that has included attacks on mosques and Muslim
owned businesses is alarming. Sri Lanka is just emerging from nearly
three decades of an ethnic based civil war and the signs are ominous
that we seemed to have learned nothing from our past and are hell bent
on starting a new conflict, this one an ethno religious conflict, with religion thrown into the toxic mix.

1. The hate campaign

The new campaign
is spearheaded not overtly by political parties, but organizations led
by religious leaders who seem to draw inspiration from the ruling
alliance and seemingly have the complete backing on the ground of our
politicized police force. It is led by an organization that certainly
faces no opposition from the State, which subsequent to a high profile
meeting with the nation’s head of state successfully pulled off a show
of force in Maharagama,
a week ago. Going according to reports, their meeting most closely
resembled in rhetoric, atmosphere and attitude, the fascist rallies that
swept parts of Europe before the start of the second world war,
complete with attacks on ethno religious minorities for economic
oppression of the majority, attacks on their family size (as if this is
not a free choice available to all), their mode of dress and other
social practices. Strangely reminiscent of exactly what the Nazi’s
said of the Jews in the early part of the last century. Today it falls
on the Muslims, the other descendants of Abraham, to face similar
accusations in Sri Lanka.

2. The Hallal certification

The ostensible irritant is presented as the Hallal
certification that informs Muslim community consumers that products are
compliant with their dietary laws. In much the same way as a Rabbi in
Colombo actually issues Kosher certificates for products that are
exported to Israel and before we explode with anger, let us remember
that Israeli (read Jewish) Kafir jet squadron contributed significantly
to our war victory. What is wrong with Hallal certification or informing
a certain community that products are compliant with their dietary
requirement? Such a basic and inoffensive facility, on commercial terms
should be available in any civilized society, especially one like ours
which values its antiquity and a proud historical record of tolerance
and plurality. Hallal certification should be nothing more than stating
that a product is fat free or lactose free for consumers who are calorie
conscious or allergic to lactose. If there is a fair trade issue, that
matter should firstly be reported to the Consumer Affairs Authority or
the Fair Trading Commission and in the event of unsatisfactory redress
referred for judicial adjudication. It is certainly not an issue for mob
violence and street (in) justice.

3. The Sri Lankan Muslims

The Sri Lankan Muslim Community, a religious and linguistic minority
has been an ancient community in Sri Lanka, now predominating in the
Eastern Province and also scattered throughout the country. An integral
part of Sri Lanka’s cultural mosaic, they have contributed significantly
to Sri Lanka’s national life. Led politically by secular and moderate
leaders, during the ethnic war, they were hounded and brutalized by the
Eelam Tigers, ethnically cleansed them from the North and murdered by
the LTTE
while at prayer in their mosques. Muslims have been an integral part
of Sri Lanka’s war on terror against the LTTE, playing an active part in
military intelligence and the long range reconnaissance patrols
(LLRP)’s that operated deep behind LTTE lines, their native Tamil
language capability an essential requirement for Sri Lanka’s counter
intelligence and covert operations. More strategically though, Muslim
nationalism, if one may call it that, has since the rise of Tamil
militancy, generally sided with the Sri Lankan State and historically
seen Tamil nationalism as a greater threat to its own rights and
freedom, than Sinhala nationalism.
It was a political judgment vindicated by the LTTE’s atrocities against
the Muslim people. It is not in the interest of Sri Lanka’s that
another minority, the Muslim community also become as alienated from the
Sri Lankan State as the Tamil community has become.

Prior to the recent spate of attacks on Muslim mosques and businesses
in Sinhala areas, it was the LTTE in pursuit of an ethnically pure Tamil Eelam
that persecuted and harassed the Muslim community in the North and East
and indeed the Sinhalese in the South. It would now be a great pity if
the current crop of Sinhala ethno religious goon squads, in their
pursuit of a ethnically pure Sinhala Eelam in the South (as opposed to a
multi ethnic, multi religious pluralistic Sri Lanka) was to destroy the
peace and create the tragedy of a new ethno religious conflict, to
replace the ethnic based civil war we ended three years ago. (Colombo Telegraph)